Neurodivergent intersubjectivity: Distinctive features of how autistic people create shared understanding

Heasman, Brett; Gillespie, Alex

doi:10.1177/1362361318785172

Cited by 316Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchLanguage, Discourse, Communication StrategiesChild and Animal Learning Development

Neurodivergent intersubjectivity: Distinctive features of how autistic people create shared understanding

Open access

Heasman, Brett, Gillespie, Alex·2019·Autism

DOI 10.1177/1362361318785172PMC PMC6512057

Open this paper in CoChat — free account Open PDF

Abstract

Autistic people are neurologically divergent, yet approaches to studying autism are framed by neurotypical definitions of being social. Using the concept of intersubjectivity, which conceptualises a variety of ways of socially relating, we investigate distinctive features of how autistic people build social understanding. A total of 30 members of a charity supporting adults with autism were video-recorded during a social activity they enjoyed, namely collaborative video gaming. Mapping the coherence, affect and symmetry of each conversational turn revealed shifting patterns of intersubjectivity within each interaction. Focussing on clusters of consistent and fragmented turns led us to identify two features of neurodivergent intersubjectivity: a generous assumption of common ground that, when understood, led to rapid rapport, and, when not understood, resulted in potentially disruptive utterances; and a low demand for coordination that ameliorated many challenges associated with disruptive turns. Our findings suggest that neurodivergent intersubjectivity reveals potential for unconventional forms of social relating and that a within-interaction analysis is a viable methodology for exploring neurodivergent communication. Future research should examine the varieties of neurodivergent intersubjectivity, with associated problems and potentials, and how those forms of intersubjectivity can be enabled to flourish, particularly in autistic-to-neurotypical encounters.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1177/1362361318785172

Cites

56 of 56 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Emerging evidence suggests that autistic social interaction may incorporate distinctive features that promote social understanding between autistic people, termed 'neurodivergent intersubjectivity'.
“Emerging evidence also suggests that autistic social interaction may incorporate distinctive features that promote social understanding between autistic people (termed ‘neurodivergent intersubjectivity’; Heasman & Gillespie, 2019).”
From Annual Research Review: Shifting from ‘normal science’ to neurodiversity in autism science (2022) · cites this paper as Heasman & Gillespie, 2019

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Understanding and sharing intentions: The origins of cultural cognition
Tomasello, M., Carpenter, M., Call, J., Behne, T., & Moll, H. (2005) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x05000129 · Cited by 4,882 · see citing works
The benefits of playing video games.
Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2014) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/a0034857 · Cited by 2,456 · see citing works
On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’
Milton, D. E. M. (2012) · Disability & Society · doi:10.1080/09687599.2012.710008 · Cited by 2,082 · see citing works
Repair After Next Turn: The Last Structurally Provided Defense of Intersubjectivity in Conversation
Schegloff, E. A. (1992) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/229903 · Cited by 1,820 · see citing works
Abductive Analysis: Theorizing Qualitative Research
Tavory, I., & Timmermans, S. (2014) · doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226180458.001.0001 · Cited by 1,726 · see citing works
Deficit, difference, or both? Autism and neurodiversity.
Kapp, S. K., Gillespie-Lynch, K., Sherman, L. E., & Hutman, T. (2013) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0028353 · Cited by 1,263 · see citing works
Untitled work
(2009) · Cited by 1,184 · see citing works
From Content to Context: Videogames as Designed Experience
Squire, K. (2006) · Educational Researcher · doi:10.3102/0013189x035008019 · Cited by 1,091 · see citing works
The Roter interaction analysis system (RIAS): utility and flexibility for analysis of medical interactions
ROTER, D. L., & Larson, S. (2002) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/s0738-3991(02)00012-5 · Cited by 913 · see citing works
Studies of the Routine Grounds of Everyday Activities
Garfinkel, H. (1964) · Social Problems · doi:10.2307/798722 · Cited by 776 · see citing works
Iterative categorization (IC): a systematic technique for analysing qualitative data
Neale, J. (2016) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/add.13314 · Cited by 591 · see citing works
Neurotypical Peers are Less Willing to Interact with Those with Autism based on Thin Slice Judgments
Sasson, N. J., Faso, D. J., Nugent, J., Lovell, S., Kennedy, D. P., & Grossman, R. B. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/srep40700 · Cited by 584 · see citing works
Disparities in diagnosis and access to health services for children with autism: data from the National Survey of Children’s Health
Liptak, G. S., Benzoni, L. B., Mruzek, D. W., Nolan, K. W., Thingvoll, M. A., Wade, C. M., & Fryer, G. E. (2008) · Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics · doi:10.1097/dbp.0b013e318165c7a0 · Cited by 504 · see citing works
Intersubjectivity: Towards a Dialogical Analysis
Gillespie, A., & Cornish, F. (2009) · Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour · doi:10.1111/j.1468-5914.2009.00419.x · Cited by 417 · see citing works
Self-citation
State-of-the-art of virtual reality technologies for children on the autism spectrum
Parsons, S., & Cobb, S. V. G. (2011) · European Journal of Special Needs Education · doi:10.1080/08856257.2011.593831 · Cited by 396 · see citing works
Embodiment and sense-making in autism
Jaegher, H. D. (2013) · Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnint.2013.00015 · Cited by 396 · see citing works
Conversational Abilities Among Children with Autism and Children with Developmental Delays
Capps, L. M., Kehres, J., & Sigman, M. (1998) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361398024002 · Cited by 364 · see citing works
First impressions of adults with autism improve with diagnostic disclosure and increased autism knowledge of peers
Sasson, N. J., & Morrison, K. E. (2017) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361317729526 · Cited by 271 · see citing works
Pragmatic Deficits in the Language of Autistic Adolescents
Baltaxe, C. A. M. (1977) · Journal of Pediatric Psychology · doi:10.1093/jpepsy/2.4.176 · Cited by 253 · see citing works
The Development of Contingent Discourse Ability in Autistic Children
Tager-Flusberg, H. B., & Anderson, M. L. (1991) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1991.tb00353.x · Cited by 239 · see citing works
How Easy is it to Read the Minds of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Sheppard, E., Pillai, D., Wong, G. T.-L., Ropar, D., & Mitchell, P. (2016) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2662-8 · Cited by 229 · see citing works
Autism and the Social World: An Anthropological Perspective
Ochs, E., Kremer‐Sadlik, T., Sirota, K. G., & Solomon, O. (2004) · Discourse Studies · doi:10.1177/1461445604041766 · Cited by 226 · see citing works
Egocentrism, allocentrism, and Asperger syndrome
Uta Frith, A., & de Vignemont, F. (2005) · Consciousness and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.concog.2005.04.006 · Cited by 208 · see citing works
Social interaction systems: theory and measurement
(1999) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.37-1849 · Cited by 199 · see citing works
On the Architecture of Intersubjectivity
Rommetveit, R. (1976) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-8765-1_16 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
Interactional dominance in dyadic communication: a presentation of initiative-response analysis
Linell, P., GUSTAVSSON, L., & Juvonen, P. (1988) · Linguistics · doi:10.1515/ling.1988.26.3.415 · Cited by 186 · see citing works
The Multiple Dimensions of Video Game Effects
Gentile, D. A. (2011) · Child Development Perspectives · doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00159.x · Cited by 177 · see citing works
Hello and goodbye: a study of social engagement in autism
Hobson, R. P., & Lee, A. (1998) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1023/a:1026088531558 · Cited by 174 · see citing works
Using Resources: Conceptualizing the Mediation and Reflective Use of Tools and Signs
Gillespie, A., & Zittoun, T. (2010) · Culture & Psychology · doi:10.1177/1354067x09344888 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Self-citation
Perspective-taking is two-sided: Misunderstandings between people with Asperger’s syndrome and their family members
Heasman, B., & Gillespie, A. (2018) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361317708287 · Cited by 163 · see citing works
Self-citation
Media use among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder
Kuo, M. H., Orsmond, G. I., Coster, W. J., & Cohn, E. S. (2014) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361313497832 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Video games from the perspective of adults with autism spectrum disorder
Mazurek, M. O., Engelhardt, C. R., & Clark, K. E. (2015) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.04.062 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
On Intersubjective Engagement in Autism: A Controlled Study of Nonverbal Aspects of Conversation
García-Pérez, R. M., Lee, A., & Hobson, R. P. (2006) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0276-x · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Synaptic depression in the CA1 region of freely behaving mice is highly dependent on afferent stimulation parameters
Goh, J. J., & Manahan‐Vaughan, D. (2013) · Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnint.2013.00001 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Answering contextually demanding questions: Pragmatic errors produced by children with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism
Loukusa, S., Leinonen, E., Jussila, K. K., Mattila, M., Ryder, N., Ebeling, H. E., & Moilanen, I. K. (2006) · Journal of Communication Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2006.10.001 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Rethinking language in autism
Sterponi, L., de Kirby, K., & Shankey, J. (2014) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361314537125 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Visualising Conversation Structure across Time: Insights into Effective Doctor-Patient Consultations
Angus, D. J., Watson, B. M., Smith, A., Gallois, C., & Wiles, J. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0038014 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Technologies of Captivation
Ash, J. (2013) · Body & Society · doi:10.1177/1357034x11411737 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Grasping intersubjectivity: an invitation to embody social interaction research
Jaegher, H. D., Pieper, B., Clénin, D., & Fuchs, T. A. E. (2016) · Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1007/s11097-016-9469-8 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Analyzing medical dialogues: strength and weakness of Roter’s interaction analysis system (RIAS)
Sandvik, M., Eide, H., Lind, M., Graugaard, P. K., Torper, J., & Finset, A. (2002) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/s0738-3991(02)00014-9 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Handbook of Imagination and Culture
Zittoun, T., & Glăveanu, V. P. (2017) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190468712.001.0001 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
More on the ontological status of autism and double empathy
Chown, N. P. (2014) · Disability & Society · doi:10.1080/09687599.2014.949625 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Glimpses into the blind spot: Social interaction and autism
Bottema‐Beutel, K. (2017) · Journal of Communication Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2017.06.008 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
How Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome Respond to Questions: a ‘Naturalistic’ Theory of Mind Task
Kremer‐Sadlik, T. (2004) · Discourse Studies · doi:10.1177/1461445604041767 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Specificity, contexts, and reference groups matter when assessing autistic traits
Gernsbacher, M. A., Stevenson, J. L., & Dern, S. (2017) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0171931 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Logico-affective States and Nonverbal Language
Hermelin, B., & O’Connor, N. (1985) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-4806-2_15 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
The effect of the video game Mindlight on anxiety symptoms in children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
Wijnhoven, L. A. M. W., Creemers, D. H. M., Engels, R. C. M. E., & Granic, I. (2015) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-015-0522-x · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Exploring the potential for social networking among people with autism: challenging dominant ideas of ‘friendship’
Brownlow, C., Rosqvist, H. B., & O’Dell, L. (2013) · Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research · doi:10.1080/15017419.2013.859174 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Double Empathy
Milton, D. E. M., Heasman, B., & Sheppard, E. (2018) · Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102273-1 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Self-citation
Kinaesthetic intersubjectivity: A dance informed contribution to self-other relatedness and shared experience in non-verbal psychotherapy with an example from autism
Samaritter, R., & Payne, H. (2012) · The Arts in Psychotherapy · doi:10.1016/j.aip.2012.12.004 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“It's like you are just a spectator in this thing”: Experiencing social life the ‘aspie’ way
Ryan, S., & Räisänen, U. (2008) · Emotion, space and society · doi:10.1016/j.emospa.2009.02.001 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Pragmatic language disorder and perspective taking in autistic speakers
Volden, J., Mulcahy, R., & Holdgrafer, G. (1997) · Applied Psycholinguistics · doi:10.1017/s0142716400009966 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Corporeal Reflexivity and Autism
Ochs, E. (2015) · Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science · doi:10.1007/s12124-015-9306-6 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Citing conduct, individualizing symptoms: Accomplishing autism diagnosis in clinical case conferences
Turowetz, J. J. (2015) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.022 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Interacting in Flow
Nelson, A. A., Grahe, J. E., & Ramseyer, F. (2016) · SAGE Open · doi:10.1177/2158244016684173 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
In two minds: Theory of Mind, intersubjectivity, and autism
Dant, T. (2014) · Theory & Psychology · doi:10.1177/0959354314556526 · Cited by 16 · see citing works

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 2

Dekker M (1999) On our own terms: emerging autistic culture. In: Proceedings of the Autism99 Available at: http://www.autscape.org/2015/programme/handouts/Autistic-Culture-07-Oct-1999.pdf
Ochs E Solomon O (2010) Autistic sociality. Journal of the Society for Psychological Anthropology 38(1): 69– 92.

Sorted by citations

Annual Research Review: Shifting from ‘normal science’ to neurodiversity in autism science
Pellicano, E., & den Houting, J. (2022) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.13534 · Cited by 744 · see citing works
Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective
Crompton, C. J., Ropar, D., Evans-Williams, C. V., Flynn, E. G., & Fletcher-Watson, S. (2020) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361320919286 · Cited by 524 · see citing works
Neurotype-Matching, but Not Being Autistic, Influences Self and Observer Ratings of Interpersonal Rapport
Crompton, C. J., Sharp, M., Axbey, H., Fletcher‐Watson, S., Flynn, E., & Ropar, D. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586171 · Cited by 262 · see citing works
Autism and the double empathy problem: Implications for development and mental health
Mitchell, P., Sheppard, E., & Cassidy, S. (2021) · British Journal of Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjdp.12350 · Cited by 262 · see citing works
Neurodiversity and Autism Intervention: Reconciling Perspectives Through a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention Framework
Schuck, R. K., Tagavi, D. M., Baiden, K. M. P., Dwyer, P., Williams, Z. J., Osuna, A., Ferguson, E. F., Jimenez Muñoz, M., Poyser, S. K., Johnson, J. F., et al. (2022) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05316-x · Cited by 208 · see citing works
‘Anything but the phone!’: Communication mode preferences in the autism community
Howard, P. L., & Sedgewick, F. (2021) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613211014995 · Cited by 177 · see citing works
"I am just terrified of my future" Epistemic Violence in Disability Related Technology Research
Ymous, A., Spiel, K., Keyes, O., Williams, R. M., Good, J., Hornecker, E., & Bennett, C. L. (2020) · Extended Abstracts of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3334480.3381828 · Cited by 160 · see citing works
What do new findings about social interaction in autistic adults mean for neurodevelopmental research?
Davis, R., & Crompton, C. J. (2021) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691620958010 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
Interpersonal Synchrony in Autism
McNaughton, K. A., & Redcay, E. (2020) · Current Psychiatry Reports · doi:10.1007/s11920-020-1135-8 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Barriers to healthcare and a ‘triple empathy problem’ may lead to adverse outcomes for autistic adults: A qualitative study
Shaw, S. C. K., Carravallah, L. A., Johnson, M. M., O’Sullivan, J., Chown, N., Neilson, S., & Doherty, M. (2023) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613231205629 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Supporting Newly Identified or Diagnosed Autistic Adults: An Initial Evaluation of an Autistic-Led Programme
Crane, L., Hearst, C., Ashworth, M., Davies, J., & Hill, E. L. (2020) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04486-4 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Social Cognition, Social Skill, and Social Motivation Minimally Predict Social Interaction Outcomes for Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults
Morrison, K. E., DeBrabander, K. M., Jones, D. R., Ackerman, R. A., & Sasson, N. J. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.591100 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Autism and Employment: A Review of the “New Frontier” of Diversity Research
Ezerins, M. E., Simon, L., Vogus, T. J., Gabriel, A. S., Calderwood, C. C., & Rosen, C. C. (2023) · Journal of Management · doi:10.1177/01492063231193362 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Mutual (Mis)understanding: Reframing Autistic Pragmatic “Impairments” Using Relevance Theory
Williams, G., Wharton, T., & Jagoe, C. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.616664 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Do First Impressions of Autistic Adults Differ Between Autistic and Nonautistic Observers?
DeBrabander, K. M., Morrison, K. E., Jones, D. R., Faso, D. J., Chmielewski, M., & Sasson, N. J. (2019) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2019.0018 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
The double empathy problem and the problem of empathy: neurodiversifying phenomenology
Ekdahl, D. (2023) · Disability & Society · doi:10.1080/09687599.2023.2220180 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
A World Unto Itself: Human Communication as Active Inference
Vasil, J., Badcock, P. B., Constant, A., Friston, K. J., & Ramstead, M. J. D. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00417 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Gender differences in mental health prevalence in autism
Sedgewick, F., Leppänen, J., & Tchanturia, K. (2020) · Advances in Autism · doi:10.1108/aia-01-2020-0007 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
AMO perspectives on the well-being of neurodivergent human capital
Szulc, J. M., Davies, J., Tomczak, M. T., & McGregor, F.-L. (2021) · Employee Relations: The International Journal · doi:10.1108/er-09-2020-0446 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Investigating Markers of Rapport in Autistic and Nonautistic Interactions
Rifai, O., Fletcher-Watson, S., Jiménez-Sánchez, L., & Crompton, C. J. (2021) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2021.0017 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Moving from Disorder to Difference: A Systematic Review of Recent Language Use in Autism Research
Bottini, S. B., Morton, H. E., Buchanan, K. A., & Gould, K. (2023) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2023.0030 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
‘Someone like-minded in a big place’: Autistic young adults’ attitudes towards autistic peer support in mainstream education
Crompton, C. J., Hallett, S., Axbey, H., McAuliffe, C., & Cebula, K. R. (2022) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613221081189 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Male autistic youth experiences of belonging in integrated physical education
Haegele, J. A., & Maher, A. J. (2021) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613211018637 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Promoting Science, Technology, and Engineering Self-Efficacy and Knowledge for All With an Autism Inclusion Maker Program
Martin, W. B., Yu, J. W., Wei, X., Vidiksis, R., Patten, K. K., & Riccio, A. (2020) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2020.00075 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Seeing and inviting participation in autistic interactions
Jaegher, H. D. (2021) · Transcultural Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/13634615211009627 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
“A Group of Fellow Travellers Who Understand”: Interviews With Autistic People About Post-diagnostic Peer Support in Adulthood
Crompton, C. J., Hallett, S., McAuliffe, C., Stanfield, A. C., & Fletcher‐Watson, S. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.831628 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Double Empathy: Why Autistic People Are Often Misunderstood
Crompton, C. J., DeBrabander, K. M., Heasman, B., Milton, D. E. M., & Sasson, N. J. (2021) · Frontiers for Young Minds · doi:10.3389/frym.2021.554875 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Self-citation
Using social media to be ‘social’: Perceptions of social media benefits and risk by autistic young people, and parents
Gillespie-Smith, K., Hendry, G., Anduuru, N., Laird, T., & Ballantyne, C. (2021) · Research in Developmental Disabilities · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104081 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“That impending dread sort of feeling”: Experiences of social interaction from the perspectives of autistic adults
Black, M. H., Clarke, P., Deane, E., Smith, D., Wiltshire, G., Yates, E., Lawson, W. B., & Chen, N. T. M. (2022) · Research in Autism · doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2022.102090 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Non-autistic observers both detect and demonstrate the double empathy problem when evaluating interactions between autistic and non-autistic adults
Jones, D. R., Botha, M., Ackerman, R. A., King, K., & Sasson, N. J. (2023) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613231219743 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Commercial video games as a resource for mental health: A systematic literature review
Boldi, A., & Rapp, A. (2021) · Behaviour and Information Technology · doi:10.1080/0144929x.2021.1943524 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
The Components of Interpersonal Synchrony in the Typical Population and in Autism: A Conceptual Analysis
Bowsher-Murray, C., Gerson, S. A., Hagen, E. V. D., & Jones, C. R. G. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.897015 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
"My Perfect Platform Would Be Telepathy" - Reimagining the Design of Social Media with Autistic Adults
Pena, B. B., Koteyko, N., van Driel, M., Delgado, A., & Vines, J. (2023) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3544548.3580673 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
‘A certain magic’ – autistic adults’ experiences of interacting with other autistic people and its relation to Quality of Life: A systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis
Watts, G., Crompton, C. J., Grainger, C., Long, J., Botha, M., Somerville, M., & Cage, E. (2024) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613241255811 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Towards autistic flow theory: A non‐pathologising conceptual approach
Heasman, B., Williams, G., Charura, D., Hamilton, L., Milton, D. E. M., & Murray, F. (2024) · Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour · doi:10.1111/jtsb.12427 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Self-citation
Overcoming the Double Empathy Problem Within Pairs of Autistic and Non-autistic Adults Through the Contemplation of Serious Literature
Chapple, M., Davis, P. M., Billington, J., Myrick, J. A., Ruddock, C., & Corcoran, R. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.708375 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Do you feel me? Autism, empathic accuracy and the double empathy problem
Cheang, R., Skjevling, M., Blakemore, A. I. F., Kumari, V., & Puzzo, I. (2024) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613241252320 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Atypical social communication is associated with positive initial impressions among peers with autism spectrum disorder
Granieri, J. E., McNair, M. L., Gerber, A. S., Reifler, R. F., & Lerner, M. D. (2020) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361320924906 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Participants over-estimate how helpful they are in a two-player game scenario toward an artificial confederate that discloses a diagnosis of autism
Heasman, B., & Gillespie, A. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01349 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Self-citation
Autism and the ‘double empathy problem’
Milton, D., Waldock, K., & Keates, N. (2023) · Conversations on Empathy · doi:10.4324/9781003189978-6
Measuring Integrated Novel Dimensions in Neurodevelopmental and Stress-Related Mental Disorders (MIND-SET): Protocol for a Cross-sectional Comorbidity Study From a Research Domain Criteria Perspective
van Eijndhoven, P., Collard, R. M., Vrijsen, J. N., Geurts, D. E. M., Vásquez, A. A., Schellekens, A., van den Munckhof, E., Brolsma, S. C. A., Duyser, F. A., Bergman, M. A., et al. (2021) · JMIRx Med · doi:10.2196/31269 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Theory of mind in naturalistic conversations between autistic and typically developing children and adolescents
Alkire, D. R., McNaughton, K. A., Yarger, H. A., Shariq, D. A., & Redcay, E. (2022) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613221103699 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Theory of autistic mind: A renewed relevance theoretic perspective on so-called autistic pragmatic ‘impairment’
Williams, G. (2021) · Journal of Pragmatics · doi:10.1016/j.pragma.2021.04.032 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Stretching the social: broadening the behavioral indicators of sociality
Akhtar, N., & Jaswal, V. K. (2020) · Child Development Perspectives · doi:10.1111/cdep.12351 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
A systematic review of autistic children’s prosocial behaviour
Ryan-Enright, T., O’Connor, R., Bramham, J., & Taylor, L. K. (2022) · Research in Autism · doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2022.102023 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Learning how to read autistic behavior from interactions between autistic people
Heasman, B., & Gillespie, A. (2019) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x18002364 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Self-citation
Experiencing social connection: A qualitative study of mothers of nonspeaking autistic children
Jaswal, V. K., Dinishak, J., Stephan, C., & Akhtar, N. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0242661 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Understanding Autistic Adults' Use of Social Media
van Driel, M., Vines, J., Pena, B. B., & Koteyko, N. (2023) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3610048 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
The double empathy problem, camouflage, and the value of expertise from experience
Mitchell, P., Cassidy, S., & Sheppard, E. (2019) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x18002212 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Autistic autobiography and hermeneutical injustice
Dinishak, J. (2021) · Metaphilosophy · doi:10.1111/meta.12514 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Social Knowledge & Performance in Autism: A Critical Review & Recommendations
Gates, J. A., McNair, M. L., Richards, J. K., & Lerner, M. D. (2023) · Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review · doi:10.1007/s10567-023-00449-0 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Experiences of autistic and non-autistic individuals participating in a corporate internship scheme
Remington, A., Heasman, B., Romualdez, A. M., & Pellicano, E. (2021) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613211025115 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Self-citation
Smiling synchronization predicts interaction enjoyment in peer dyads of autistic and neurotypical youth
McNaughton, K. A., Moss, A., Yarger, H. A., & Redcay, E. (2024) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613241238269 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Rapport in same and mixed neurotype groups of autistic and non-autistic adults
Foster, S. J., Ackerman, R. A., Wilks, C. E. H., Dodd, M., Calderon, R. M., Ropar, D., Fletcher‐Watson, S., Crompton, C. J., & Sasson, N. J. (2025) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613251320444 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Invisible Autistic Infrastructure: Ethnographic Reflections on an Autistic Community
Idriss, C. R. (2020) · Medical Anthropology · doi:10.1080/01459740.2020.1849185 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“Peas in a pod”: Oral History Reflections on Autistic Identity in Family and Community by Late-Diagnosed Adults
Lilley, R., Lawson, W. B., Hall, G., Mahony, J., Clapham, H., Heyworth, M., Arnold, S. R. C., Trollor, J. N., Yudell, M., & Pellicano, E. (2022) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-022-05667-z · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Moving Together: Social Motor Synchrony in Autistic Peer Partners Depends on Partner and Activity Type
Glass, D., & Yuill, N. (2023) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-023-05917-8 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Diversity in Autistic Play: Autistic Adults' Experiences
Pritchard-Rowe, E., de Lemos, C., Howard, K., & Gibson, J. L. (2023) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2023.0008 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Should I Stay or Should I Go? A Relational Biopsychosocial Perspective on Neurodivergent Talent, Career Satisfaction and Turnover Intention
McDowall, A., Doyle, N., & Kiseleva, M. (2025) · Human Resource Management · doi:10.1002/hrm.22307 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
The role of robotic toys in shaping play and joint engagement in autistic children: Implications for future design
Laurie, M., Manches, A., & Fletcher‐Watson, S. (2021) · International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1016/j.ijcci.2021.100384 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Kids Across the Spectrums
Alper, M. (2023) · The MIT Press eBooks · doi:10.7551/mitpress/14152.001.0001 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Neurodiversity and double empathy: can empathy disconnects be mitigated to support autistic belonging?
Finke, E. H., & Dunn, D. H. (2023) · Disability & Society · doi:10.1080/09687599.2023.2295802 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Evolutionary Pragmatics
(2025) · doi:10.1093/9780191967566.001.0001 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Automated extraction of speech and turn-taking parameters in autism allows for diagnostic classification using a multivariable prediction model
Plank, I. S., Koehler, J. C., Bierlich, A. M., Koutsouleris, N., & Falter‐Wagner, C. M. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1257569 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Understanding Neurodiverse Social Play Between Autistic and Non-Autistic Children
Morris, B., Havlucu, H., Oldfield, A., & Metatla, O. (2024) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3613904.3642809 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Autism and Social Interaction: A Discursive Psychological Study
Henderson, G. (2021) · doi:10.26686/wgtn.15050349.v1 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Double Empathy
Milton, D. E. M., Heasman, B., & Sheppard, E. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102273-2 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Self-citation
Challenging Empathic Deficit Models of Autism Through Responses to Serious Literature
Chapple, M., Davis, P. M., Billington, J., Williams, S., & Corcoran, R. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.828603 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Neuro-affirmative support for autism, the double empathy problem and monotropism
Brosnan, M., & Camilleri, L. J. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1538875 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Paranoia: From Passive Social-Threat Perception to Misattunement in Social Interaction
Hajdúk, M., Sasson, N. J., Park, S., & Pinkham, A. E. (2024) · Clinical Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/21677026231218639 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
On the Folly of Rewarding Your Version of Performance: Signaling and the Double Empathy Problem in Pay‐For‐Performance Across Neurotypes
Conroy, S. A., & Vogus, T. J. (2025) · Human Resource Management · doi:10.1002/hrm.22284 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Do My Friends Only Like the School Me or the True Me?”: School Belonging, Camouflaging, and Anxiety in Autistic Students
Atkinson, E., Wright, S., & Wood‐Downie, H. (2025) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-024-06668-w · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Social motor synchrony and interactive rapport in autistic, non-autistic, and mixed-neurotype dyads.
Efthimiou, T., Wilks, C. E. H., Foster, S. J., Dodd, M., Sasson, N. J., Ropar, D., Lages, M., Fletcher-Watson, S., & Crompton, C. J. (2025) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613251319585 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
The co-construction of competence: Trusting autistic children's abilities in interactions with peers and teachers
Heller, V., & Kern, F. (2021) · Linguistics and Education · doi:10.1016/j.linged.2021.100975 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
A Spectrum of Understanding: A Qualitative Exploration of Autistic Adults' Understandings and Perceptions of Friendship(s)
Gillespie‐Smith, K., Mair, A. P. A., Alabtullatif, A., Pain, H., & McConachie, D. (2024) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2023.0051 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
A Blog-Based Study of Autistic Adults' Experiences of Aloneness and Connection and the Interplay with Well-Being: Corpus-Based and Thematic Analyses
Petty, S., Allen, S., Pickup, H., & Woodier, B. (2023) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2022.0073 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Silenced and stigmatized: how leader exclusion fuels disengagement and resistance among neurodivergent employees
Khassawneh, O. (2025) · Equality Diversity and Inclusion An International Journal · doi:10.1108/edi-06-2025-0393 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Stigma Management Strategies of Autistic Social Media Users
Koteyko, N., van Driel, M., Billan, S., Pena, B. B., & Vines, J. (2024) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2023.0095 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Extending Double Empathy: Effects of Neurotype-Matching on Communication Success in an Expository Context
Oates, M., Bean, A., Kickbusch, R., & Sauer, S. (2024) · American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology · doi:10.1044/2024_ajslp-23-00393 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Autistic adults display different verbal behavior only in mixed-neurotype interactions: Evidence from a referential communication task
Geelhand, P., Papastamou, F., Jaspard, S., & Kissine, M. (2024) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613241298376 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Perspectives on Educational Inclusion from a Small Sample of Autistic Pupils in Santiago, Chile
Istuany, O. E., & Wood, R. (2020) · Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research · doi:10.16993/sjdr.724 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Searching for What Really Matters: A Thematic Analysis of Quality of Life among Preschool Children on the Autism Spectrum
Lichtlé, J., Lamore, K., Pedoux, A., Downes, N., Mottron, L., & Cappe, É. (2021) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05097-3 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Learning with labyrinths: Neurodivergent journeying towards new concepts of care and creative pedagogy through participatory community autism research
Shaughnessy, N. (2022) · Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning · doi:10.14426/cristal.v10isi.546 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
To the Roots of Theory of Mind Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Narrative Review
Polónyiová, K., Kruyt, J., & Ostatníková, D. (2024) · Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s40489-024-00457-y · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Parents’ and professionals’ views on autistic motherhood using a participatory research design
Sutcliffe-Khan, F., Larkin, F., & Hamilton, L. (2024) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-024-05999-2 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
‘A Difference in Typical Values’: Autistic Perspectives on Autistic Social Communication
Sutherland, H. E. A., Fletcher‐Watson, S., Long, J. J., & Crompton, C. J. (2025) · Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research · doi:10.16993/sjdr.1184 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Adapting Drug and Alcohol Therapies for Autistic Adults
Brosnan, M., & Adams, S. H. (2022) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2021.0047 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Qualitative Analysis of the Experiences and Perspectives of Autistic Speech-Language Pathologists
Oates, M., & Bean, A. (2023) · American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology · doi:10.1044/2023_ajslp-22-00399 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Autistic adults’ perspectives and experiences of diagnostic assessments that include play across the lifespan
Pritchard-Rowe, E., de Lemos, C., Howard, K., & Gibson, J. L. (2024) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613241257601 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“It Helps Us Express Our Feelings Without Having To Say Anything”: Exploring 'Accompanying Social Play Things' Designed With and For Neurodiverse Groups of Children
Morris, B., Havlucu, H., Oldfield, A., & Metatla, O. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713738 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Diagnostic status influences rapport and communicative behaviours in dyadic interactions between autistic and non-autistic people
Efthimiou, T. N., Lewis, S., Foster, S. J., Wilks, C. E. H., Dodd, M., Sánchez, L. J., Ropar, D., Ackerman, R. A., Sasson, N. J., Fletcher‐Watson, S., et al. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0330222 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
The role of informal communication in building shared understanding of non-functional requirements in remote continuous software engineering
Okpara, L., Werner, C., Murray, A., & Damian, D. (2023) · Requirements Engineering · doi:10.1007/s00766-023-00404-z · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Helping Autistic Children
Davis, R., den Houting, J., Nordahl‐Hansen, A., & Fletcher‐Watson, S. (2022) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781119679028.ch39 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Tensions Between Autistic Sociality, Communication, and Social Skills Research: A Response to Bambara (2022) and Camarata (2022)
Keates, N., Waldock, K. E., & Dewar, E. F. A. (2022) · Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research · doi:10.1044/2022_jslhr-22-00331 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
De-centering Neuronormativity is an Imperative in Humanistic Psychotherapy: Towards a Neurodiversity-Informed, Person-Centered ApproachPreprint
Bolton, M. J. (2023) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/q2t8h · Cited by 8 · see citing works
‘Read My Lips, Not My Body’: A Thematic Analysis of Autistic People's Social Communication Preferences, Experiences, and Expectations
Sutherland, H., Crompton, C. J., Long, J., & Fletcher-Watson, S. (2025) · Neurodiversity · doi:10.1177/27546330251333919 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Camouflaging in autism and borderline personality disorder: Same or different?
Petrolini, V., & Schmidt, P. (2025) · Theory & Psychology · doi:10.1177/09593543251316832 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Using virtual reality to support autistic employees: a perspective on creating inclusive neurodiverse work environments
Tatom, R. C., & Newbutt, N. A. (2025) · Frontiers in Virtual Reality · doi:10.3389/frvir.2025.1648971 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Can similarity of autistic traits promote neural synchronization?
Feng, S., Ding, L., Wang, M., Zhang, J.-N., Yuan, Y., Zhang, P., & Bai, X.-J. (2024) · Experimental Brain Research · doi:10.1007/s00221-024-06919-3 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Analysing The Meaning Of Tone Indicators By Neurodivergent Community in Twitter
Christanti, M. F., Mardani, P. B., & Fadhila, K. A. (2022) · International Journal of Social Science Research and Review · doi:10.47814/ijssrr.v5i1.118 · Cited by 7 · see citing works

Neurodivergent recipient design and intersubjectivity – A re-examination of perspective-taking in autism
Emborg, C. (2026) · Discourse Studies · doi:10.1177/14614456261417492
‘Normal People’? An Autistic analysis into neurodiverse communication, and innovation through diversity.
Axbey, H. (2023) · Durham e-Theses (Durham University)
The Blurred Vital Contours of Intersubjectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Early Signs and Neurophysiological Hypotheses
Rochat, M. J., & D, V. G. M. (2022) · Psychoanalytic Inquiry · doi:10.1080/07351690.2022.2007022 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
4. Engaging, sharing, knowing: Some lessons from research in autism
Hobson, R. P., & Hobson, J. A. (2008) · Converging evidence in language and communication research · doi:10.1075/celcr.12.06hob · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Naturalistic observation of children with autism: Evidence for intersubjectivity
Toomey, J., & Adams, L. A. (1995) · New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development · doi:10.1002/cd.23219956908 · Cited by 4 · see citing works

Authors: Heasman, B., & Gillespie, A.
Affiliations: London School of Economics and Political Science (GB)
Corresponding author: Heasman, Brett
ORCID: Heasman, Brett
Gillespie, Alex
Venue: Autism
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2018-08-03
Volume: 23
Issue: 4
Pages: 910-921
ISSN: 1362-3613 (ISSN-L)
1461-7005
DOI: 10.1177/1362361318785172
PMC: PMC6512057
OpenAlex: W2886786591
Cited by: 316
References: 56
Citations by year: 2026: 112 · 2025: 70 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 5
FWCI: 7.30
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: hybrid
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Autism (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
London School of Economics and Political Science Research Online (London School of Economics and Political Science) (acceptedVersion)
Research at York St John (York St John University) (submittedVersion)
London School of Economics and Political Science Theses Online (London School of Economics and Political Science) (submittedVersion)
UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders: Economic and Social Research Council (ES/J500070/1)
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords: mutual understanding, social communication, conversational turns, common ground, rapport building, coordination
MeSH terms: Adolescent, Adult, Autistic Disorder, Communication, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Social Behavior, Video Games, Comprehension, Qualitative Research, Young Adult

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Neurodivergent intersubjectivity: Distinctive features of how autistic people create shared understanding

Abstract

Integrity signals

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Self-check

Cites

Cited by

Related

Record

About these checks